Poisoned Perfection
by midnightfarie
Summary: His plan was perfect, revenge would be sweet... except for the complication he never saw coming.
1. Chapter 1

A year had passed to the day since Professor X had died at the hand of his most beloved pupil Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde realized as she slowly traced the engraved words on the monument constructed in his honor with a tentative finger. A flame still flickered at the base of the stone. Its undying light representing the ideals that lived on long after the death of the man who first imagined them. Kitty owed so much to the man who had dedicated his life to making the world into a place where she and those like her could be accepted. His dream had not yet been realized, but because of the sanctuary he had left behind, Kitty truly believed that one day it would be. However, the young woman was woefully ignorant to the evil that existed outside the walls of Xavier's institute. From the cover of trees, a man observed the small girls private moment of grief, and he was not so naïve to the world. Revenge burned in his heart as his plan slowly fell into place.

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**I don't know if anyone else thinks a Shadowcat/Deadpool fic could be amazing, but I do. Please review and let me know if I should continue.**

**Midnightfarie**


	2. Chapter 2

"Pick up the pace, half pint." Wolverine yelled at Kitty Pryde as she brought of the rear of and obstacle course that snaked around the perimeter of the Institute. Ahead of her were her fellow mutants and classmates, all of them subjected to Wolverines idea of Physical Education. Kitty glared at the over grown badger.

"The pace is picked up! Everyone else just has longer legs." Kitty whined in despair.

"No excuses Pryde," Wolverine retorted. "If they run fast, you run faster."

Kitty threw her instructor one last hateful glare before sprinting after the rest of the team.

As the small girl disappeared, Wolverine noticed Storm behind him watching him thoughtfully.

"Why are you so much harder on her?" Ororo asked with interest, Wolverine shrugged.

"She can do better."He responded curtly.

"They all could do better." Ororo pointed. Wolverine just grunted and took off in the direction of the finish line.

* * *

After another mile of running Kitty collapsed at the end line, the third to cross it. Slowly the rest of the students stumbled in, all collapsing in a pile. Rogue trotted up last of all, her face paler than usual.

"Well done." Wolverine told the skunk haired girl with a warm smile. She nodded still breathing hard. Wolverine walked past Kitty and stopped looking down at the girl sprawled out on the damp grass.

"Pathetic Pryde." He told her gruffly. Kitty rolled her eyes in aggravation. She could do nothing right in the eyes of that mean old man, whereas Rogue could do no wrong… the same rule seemed to apply with Bobby Drake. Rogue had basically betrayed them all by giving up her power, but the moment she came back, she was welcomed with open arms, and Kitty was once again left out in the cold. Bobby didn't see her, he only had eyes for the untouchable misfit. Once Kitty had thought she might have a chance with Iceman, but that dream had long since been crushed.

Kitty pushed herself up from the ground and stormed off angrily in the direction of the institute. She shouldered past Logan as hard as she could, but the action only served to hurt her shoulder.

"Where are you going Pryde, we're not done out here." The older man told her sternly. He reached out to pull her back, but she phased through his hand.

"Yes, we are." She said heatedly.

"Get back here Pryde." He yelled after her.

"Go to hell." She snapped without breaking stride. All the students watched this exchange in stunned silence. No one disrespected Wolverine… No one. However, Logan did not follow the irritated girl. Instead he turned his attention on his remaining students.

"Get up and do the course again." He ordered, they all groaned in despair.

* * *

As Kitty stormed into the institute, she past Storm.

"Kitty?" The older woman asked. "What's that matter."

"I didn't come here to be insulted, and I'm done putting up with that crotchety old tyrant." Kitty hissed angrily, her voice shaking. "I'm going home Ms. Munroe."

"Kitty, please take a moment and reconsider." Storm pleaded with the young woman.

"No, I've made up my mind. No one really wants me here and I am sick and tired of pretending I want to stay. I'm going to pack up and just get the hell out of here." Kitty informed her favorite teacher, her voice shaking more than ever. She pushed past Storm as the tears began to flow.

"Kitty!" Ororo called after the retreating girl. She shook her head sadly. "Logan, what have you done now?"

* * *

Kitty locked her bedroom door behind her before flopping down on her bed and crying into her pillow. She fell asleep for a couple of hours, and when she awoke, the sun was just beginning to descend behind the horizon. Kitty wiped away her tears and pulled her suitcases out from under her bed. She went to her closet and yanked what it contained off of hangers, dumping them into one of the suitcases. Once it was cleared out, she set to work emptying the draws. In a couple of minutes she managed to pack up all her possessions, leaving only one item of clothing in the closet. A leather uniform embellished with X's. The only piece of clothing that marked her as an x-man, she would leave it behind. She was going home, and there she would no longer be an x-man there, so she saw no reason to hang on to a memento.

As she began to zip up her first suitcase, a sound came from her open window. Cautiously, the small girl approached it. She watched the billowing curtains warily as she slowly reached out and yanked them apart. There was nothing there, and she laughed at herself. It would seem that she was still afraid of the monster under her bed. Taking a calming breath she turned to go back to her bed. Suddenly a figure dropped from the ceiling, landing on the ground behind her, a cloth covered her nose and mouth and she sank to the ground unconscious. The figure clothed in red and black caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Boo." He whispered in her ear. He slung the slight girl over his shoulder with ease and placed a note upon her desk before leaping out of the window of Kitty's second story room. The two of them disappeared in a puff of smoke before reappearing on the ground below. He ran into the growing darkness, Kitty's lifeless body hanging limply over his shoulder as they both disappeared into the night.

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**Midnightfarie**


	3. Chapter 3

Kitty awoke to a pounding headache. She opened her eyes, but it made no difference. Her surroundings were pitch black. Feeling panic begin to grip her chest, making her heart flutter like a caged bird, she forced herself to take several calming breaths. After a few moments she managed to regain control of herself and began to survey her situation. She was lying on her side on a hard floor, possibly concrete. Her feet were bound by rope, and her hands were cuffed in front of her to something metal.

"It's okay." She whispered. "You can get out of this, just relax."

She tried to phase through her bindings. The panic returned. She was trapped in a dark room, and her powers were not working. It brought haunting memories of Alcatraz. Once before she had found herself powerless, chased by a gigantic man who planned to crush her, but she had gotten out of that situation by being resourceful and that was exactly what she would do this time. She would not panic. This was simply a problem and she needed to find a solution.

With some difficulty, she managed to get herself into a seated position where she began to work on untying her feet. It was a complex knot and she couldn't get it untied without light. So she turned her attention on the handcuffs, they were linked around a pipe she decided after clanging metal against metal a few times. She began to pull against the pipe, hoping to break it, but after a long while she had to except that her body weight was nowhere near enough to cause damage to the pipe let alone break it. So she struggled to her feet to see how tall the pipe was. It turned out to be another fruitless attempt at escape. Exhausted, Kitty sunk to the ground; since she couldn't escape she would have to settle for not panicking. She focused on her breathing, keeping it slow and even in an attempt to stay calm. However her meditation was interrupted by loud slow clapping.

"Truly a commendable effort." A voice whispered in her ear. She jerked away only to knock into something warm on her other side. "I can see what he sees in you. Old Jimmy hasn't lost that keen sense of smell. He can still smell a winner. Unfortunately, he still hasn't learned to watch his teams back."

"Who are you?" Kitty demanded, trying to hide the fear in her voice. "What do you want from me?"

"Interesting questions." The man replied, trailing a finger along her collarbone. She jerked away from his touched. "The first is not your immediate concern. The second however I shall answer…drum roll please!"

Kitty waited in silence for a long moment before she realized he was actually waiting for a drum roll.

"Da-da-da-da-da?"

"Nothing!" He revealed enthusiastically. "I want absolutely nothing from you. Rather I want _you_… Not in a sex offender way, but rather as a fisherman would want a worm. You see Miss Pryde there is this illusive fish I've been after for years, but I have finally realized that you can chase a fish until the end of time and never catch it. But if you get a little bait, that fish will come right to you. You, my dear will be a most excellent bait."

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**Midnightfarie**


	4. Chapter 4

"Logan, I really think you out to go talk to Kitty, she was extremely upset. I honestly think she's going to leave, and from how I saw you talking to her this afternoon I can't blame her." Storm scolded the hairy man as he bulled a root beer from the fridge and sliced the top off.

"The girl's too thin skinned, she's gotta find a back bone or there will never be a place for her in the big bad world." Logan growled as he slid onto a stool.

"She's still a child Logan, and we both know she's already seen more action than most of her classmates. I believe she's handed herself in incredibly well in difficult situations. All she needs is a little respect from you, to feel as though you think she's doing well. "

"If the kid wants respect, she should earn it." He insisted.

"Logan, I want you to go up and apologize to her." Ororo ordered.

"I ain't apologizing to a half pint." Wolverine told her firmly.

* * *

"Damn white haired weather witch." Logan growled to himself as he climbed the stairs. Water dripped from his clothes and hair, and he looked as though he had just come in from a rain storm, which thanks to Ororo he had. He passed several doors and stopped in front of Kitty's, knocking loudly.

"Half pint?" He called through the door. There was no answer. Wolverine pressed his ear to the door. There was no sound. Extending a single claw, he jimmied the lock and swung the door open. Two packed suitcases were on the bed, but the little girl was nowhere to be seen. Logan sniffed the air tentatively. The half pints scent filled his nose, but so did something else… someone else… a scent he recognized but could not remember. He took another breath and caught a whiff of something else, chloroform. Hurriedly he searched the room for any trace of the girls' abductor. A white envelope on the desk caught his eye. A single word was written on the front in a flowing script.

James

Logan flipped over the letter and tore it open, reading the not quickly.

Dear Friend,

It has been too long… since you left me for dead. Do not think I have forgotten your kindness; my memory is not so flawed. I remember what you and your brother did to me. I remember when you left your team, and I remember when you came back. Your donation to Strykers cause has left me in this endless hell he had the audacity to call life. Oh, and I almost left out the best part. I remember when you played it slices it dices with my head. Friends don't leave friends to rot. So I came by for a visit, for old times' sake. You took away my life then, so I took something of yours… something of equal value. A life, one you were responsible for. If you want to get her back alive, you will have to do exactly as I tell you. Expect your next letter tomorrow.

XI

The 'XI' seemed oddly familiar to Logan, his mind saw flashes of fragmented memories.

Swords…

Striker…

Genetic experiments…

The perfect soldier…

Mutant killer…

3 mile island…

Deadpool.

A chill filled Logan, despite his limited recollections he knew one thing for sure. Kitty was in grave danger. A deep growl emanated from his chest as he crumpled the letter. He stormed from the empty room. He had a girl to rescue.

* * *

Kitty's body ached in protest as awoke. She was still surrounded by darkness. The black around her was so complete she couldn't even venture a guess on whether it was day or night. She had no way of telling how long she had been held captive like this, but she knew by the growling of her stomach that it had been sometime since her last meal. Completely feed up with her imprisonment she let out a scream of frustration.

"Hello?" She yelled. "Is anyone there? Creepy lurker, are you here? Tip, if you're planning to use me as a bargaining chip, you may want to keep me alive. Food would be greatly appreciated!"

"Not quite so meek when we get bored, are we." Her captor taunted, Kitty could hear him grinning.

"I need something to eat." She insisted forcefully, she had no intention of playing this disturbed man's game.

"You don't need it, you want it." He corrected her. "I'm fairly certain you'll survive missing a couple of meals."

"How about some water then?" Kitty pressed.

"No."

"A bathroom?"

"Hold it."

Kitty growled in frustration, glaring vehemently into the darkness.

"You know! Just because you're a psycho kidnapper doesn't mean you have to be such a jerk." Kitty insisted hotly. Large hands grabbed her arms and pulled her to her feet suddenly, pressing her against the pole behind her roughly. Kitty couldn't help but wince in surprise and pain. She could feel herself shaking in fear, but could not force herself to stop. Her captor's body pressed against her own and hunched over so they were cheek to cheek.

"Believe me Kitten I'm still playing nice. " He warned her, a single finger trailing down her chest. Hot tears of fear and outrage filled her eyes and she couldn't keep them from spilling over. "When I decide to start being a jerk, I guarantee you'll see the difference."

The man released her and she crumpled back down to the floor. She fell completely to pieces and cried openly. She just couldn't hold it in any longer. She wasn't brave like Wolverine, or poised like Storm. In so many ways she was still just a child, a child who only wished to go home.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked quietly.

"Probably." He answered honestly. She sniffed quietly, forcibly composing herself.

"Then get me a damn sandwich." She ordered him threateningly. She may not have the strengths possessed by her teachers, but if this man was going to kill her anyway, she might as well pretend. If she pretended long enough maybe they would both believe it. If she was going to sit here waiting to die, she was going to do it on her own terms. Her last days would not be dictated by a menacing figure in the dark. The man laughed loudly, thoroughly enjoying her outbursts.

"You know, I might actually regret killing you." He told her as though it was a compliment.

"Wow, I feel so honored." She retorted coldly.

"Turkey or ham." He asked, Kitty sat in silence thrown off by the sudden change of topic. "Unless of course you no longer want that sandwich…."

"Ham." Kitty answered quickly, not wishing to miss what could be her last chance to eat.

"Alright, turkey it is." He replied, disappearing with a whooshing sound. Kitty shook her head at the man's childish teasing, her ever present fear sending her into hysterical fits of laughter. Slowly she soothed herself with the hope that maybe someone was looking for her… maybe someone would save her. But deep down she already knew the only way she would escape this lunatic was if he chose to let her go, and she couldn't see anything making that happen. So until he grew tired of his game, she would have to survive on hope, no matter how fruitless.

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**Midnightfarie**


	5. Chapter 5

The trail ended at the institute gate Wolverine accepted after thoroughly dismembering a tree. Kitty's scent was simply gone, as though she along with her captor just vanished into thin air. Wolverine stalked angrily back to the school. He would continue his search, but for now all he could do was wait. Wait for a letter that would bring him one step closer to a man set on revenge for a wrong Logan had no recollection of committing. One step closer to saving the innocent victim doomed to pay the price for his forgotten past.

* * *

Ororo stood calmly before her young charges. She had gathered them all once Logan had informed her of the situation. She cleared her throat to silence the whispering students, and a hush over took them all.

"As I am sure you are all aware, something occurred last night." She began in her soothing voice, attempting to hide her anxiety from those who would soon look to her for comfort and guidance. "Someone… Some unknown mutant bypassed institute security and entered this building completely undetected. He kidnapped a student and is now holding her for ransom."

"Who?" Rogue piped in from the back of the room.

"Kitty Pryde." Ororo revealed. Rogue looked at her boyfriend Bobby in dismay. The boy was white as a ghost and speechless.

"Why?" Piotr's booming voice inquired.

"Revenge." Wolverine growled from the doorway.

* * *

Kitty hurriedly gulped down the sandwich and drained the glass of water her captor provided her; afraid he would snatch them away from her. As she swallowed down her last bite, he cleared his throat.

"Better?" He inquired.

"Much." Kitty admitted cautiously. "Well, since we seem to have reached some kind of understanding about my dietary requirements, I think it's time to deal with the issue of lighting."

"No lights." He said shortly.

"Well, that's not going to work for me. You see, wait that's the problem, you can't, and neither can I. And since you're planning to hold me hostage for an indefinite period of time, likely until my imminent demise, I would really like to spend some of that time seeing. If you don't turn on some lights my eyes will end up adjusting to the dark and I'll bet you they'll turn all watery and beady like a moles eyes. And let me tell you, mole eyes are not attractive. So for the sake of sparing me the disgrace of dying with mole eyes I think you ought to turn on the light."

"No." He stated more firmly.

"Why not?" Kitty demanded, attempting to keep the whiny edge out of her voice.

"I can't let you see me."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense." Kitty countered." You're here for revenge, so obviously you know whoever you're planning to get even with and therefore there's no point in hiding your identity. Plus as you already told me you're planning to kill me, so who am I gonna turn you into? The man upstairs? There is no reason why my seeing you should effect whether or not you turn on some lights."

"Fine, you want to see, then see!" He growled angrily and a blinding light filled the room. Kitty blinked a few times as her eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Before her stood a man, and at first all she could see was his outline, but slowly he came into focus. She managed to contain her shock as her eyes raked over the man she knew only by voice.

"Who did this to you?" She whispered in horror.

"Wolverine."

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	6. Chapter 6

"Wolverine?" Kitty asked incredulously. "You kidnapped me to get even with Wolverine."

"Wow, you're a quick one aren't you?" Her captor taunted her sarcastically. Kitty looked down at her feet, not wanting to stare at him. To say he was horribly disfigured was an understatement. He was completely bald, but not in natural way, his head was hairless… completely hairless. He didn't even have eyebrows. And it was shiny like a child going through chemo. He looked about thirty, but it was hard to tells, his mutilated face was scarred in terrifying ways. Scars cut across both eyes, as though someone had peeled back the skin to perform some sort of barbaric attempt at eye surgery. But his mouth was what really revolted Kitty. He had no lips, but instead what looked like it had once been smooth skin sliced open to create a mouth.

"But then why did you take me?" Kitty asked in confusion. "He couldn't care less about me. He thinks I'm a waste of space. You should have taken Rogue. Everyone adores Rogue."

She glared up at him bitterly.

"He won't care that you took me, I was leaving anyway." She confessed.

"It will torture him far more to watch you suffer than anyone else. I chose perfectly." He insisted.

"Did you not hear a single word?" Kitty snapped.

"Every word princess, enough to know that regret is going to eat him alive. He allowed me to get to you because he didn't protect you. He was too busy trying to make you the best you could be that he didn't even realize he pushed you right into harm's way."

"That doesn't make any sense." Kitty insisted.

"Just because it doesn't make sense, doesn't mean I'm wrong."

Wolverine swaggered into the kitchen to grab a root beer; it was still the closes thing to beer that he had managed to convince Ororo to allow in the house. As he reached to open the fridge, something caught his eye. Another letter addressed with the same flowing handwriting was held up on the front of the fridge by a magnet. Wolverine's blood boiled slight of it. The monster who had captured a defenseless young woman snuck in and out of the institute again, completely unnoticed. Angrily Wolverine tore open the letter.

Really Logan, I'm disappointed in you. I hate to say it but I think you may be losing your edge! Your pathetic attempts to track me were sad to say the least. I honestly expected better from you. You nearly took all of the fun out of my original plan, so I think I'll be changing things up a bit. I want to see the ruthless killer I once knew, so it's time to up the stakes. You have to track me down and pry your precious little girl from my cold dead fingers. I'll even help you out a bit; give you a clue where to start. Go back to the beginning, well the beginning of the end I should say. That's where it all started, you turned your back on us and left Striker and your brother to descend into madness and destroy the rest of us. If you want your little Kitten back, I would suggest you get started… Time is of the essence, I am not a patient man.

XI

Logan stared at the letter, racking his brain for any trace of the memory he would need, but he could not remember.

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	7. Chapter 7

"Storm!" Logan roared as he entered her office. The dark skinned beauty looked up at him serenely despite his sudden entrance.

"Yes?" She replied. Logan slammed his hands down on her desk so he was eye to eye with her.

"Your students, any of 'em like the professor?" He asked impatiently. "Any of 'em telepathic?"

Ororo looked down in thought, and then shook her head.

"There are several with telepathic abilities, but none strong enough to get into your mind, let alone use cerebro."

Logan let out a roar of frustration.

"I do however know one telepath who might be able to help us," Ororo continued "But she won't."

"I'll make her." Logan promised. "Just give me a name."

"Emma Frost."

Now he was just screwing with her, she was sure. If someone didn't rescue her soon, Kitty was pretty sure she was going to lose it. Ever since her captor had turned on the lights, he hadn't shut them off. She was tired and cranky and with these lights on sleep seemed to be eluding her. She wiggled her feet back in forth quickly in impatience. Her ability to phase had allowed her never to be stuck in one place; being grounded made her feel vulnerable. She hated it.

"Hello Kitty Cat." The smooth voice of her captor whispered from behind her. Kitty jerked on her bindings as she turned to look at him, and winced at the pain in her wrists that had spread to her shoulders and down her back. Kitty glared at him hatefully and then turned away from him pointedly. "Aw, giving me the silent treatment? That's cute kitten, real cute."

He walked around until he stood beside her and knelt down to her level. Kitty looked away from him, and jerked away as he placed a single finger against her cheek.

"Touch me again and you won't get that finger back." Kitty threatened in a dangerously low whisper. He simply chuckled. He reached up to her bound wrists and in a swift motion, he released them. Kitty gasped in pain as her arms fell to her sided, feeling heavier than lead. She gingerly rubbed her bloody and bruised wrists and glared at him reproachfully.

"No thank you?" He questioned tilting his masked face to the side, even though she couldn't see his expression she thought he might be smiling, finding some twisted humor in her discomfort.

"Thanks." Kitty drawled sarcastically, struggling to her feet on wobbly legs. "Why did you do it?"

"I think it's a pretty safe bet that you're not going to be able to escape." He replied. "And if you do… I'll kill you."

"Wow, you sure know how to make a girl feel at home."Kitty snapped, she was tired, hungry and cranky therefore not in the mood to deal with his twisted games.

She took a step, but her shaky legs crumpled beneath her, preparing herself to collide with the cold concrete beneath her feet she closed her eyes. Surprisingly warm arm caught her, lifting her back to her feet. Kitty opened her eyes and looked up at the masked face.

"How long have I been tied up here?" She demanded, pushing herself free of her strange capture.

"About a week."He replied, shrugging.

"Why?" Kitty asked sinking to the ground in despair. "Why are you doing this, why did you drag me into this? Are you ever going to let me go, and if you aren't going to why don't you kill me now? Why put me through this cat and mouse game you're playing with Wolverine? I don't understand."

Her eyes blurred with tears, but she blinked them back not wanting to let him see her cry.

"You see Kitten." Her captor whispered, trailing a finger along her jaw until it hooked beneath her chin and he tilted her face up to look at him. "We have what you could call a need to know relationship, and I don't need you to know."

Kitty lifted a tentative hand up to his and twisted his finger back until it snapped.

"Don't touch me." Kitty whispered dangerously as her captor winced in pain.

"The Kitty's got claws." He said in surprise, cradling his injured hand. Then he grabbed his broken finger and straightened it with a sickening crunching noise. He then moved his fingers with ease, looking back at Kitty, she could swear he was smirking beneath the mask. "Lucky for me, I'm made of Kevlar."

Kitty's eyes widened… how could she fight someone who couldn't be hurt?

"Well that didn't work quite like I hoped." She admitted with a semi hysterical chuckle.

"What do you say, we make a truce." Her captor offered. "You attempt to restrain yourself from future outbursts, and if the time comes when I decide to kill you, I'll attempt to make it painless… maybe."

"Wow," Kitty snapped. "What a generous offer."

"What can I say, I'm a softy."

Wolverine silently staked a tall blonde woman down a dark alley. With Ororo's help he had caught on to Emma Frosts trail and had been watching her for two days now, waiting for the perfect moment to catch her unaware and force her to help him find Kitty Pryde. Quietly he closed the distance between them when suddenly the woman froze.

"Mr. Howlett." She said in a surprisingly deep and smooth voice. The name stopped Logan in his tracks, it felt strangely familiar like a long forgotten nickname. "Did you honestly think you could track a telepath, without their knowledge?" She turned and looked straight at him. "Your thoughts have been screaming at me for days now. Either you are a fool, or you are desperate. My guess is it's a little of both."

Logan straightened up to his full height which was still considerably less than the strikingly beautiful woman before him.

"I came to ask for your help." He said smoothly, Emma laughed a cold sound that stung like a bitter wind.

"Ask or demand?" She inquired her calculating gaze unnerving.

"Whichever would do the trick." Wolverine replied.

"And if neither inspired me to come running to the aid of the X-men?" She pressed.

"I would do whatever it took to make you." Wolverine admitted knowing there was no use in lying to the woman. She laughed again, sneering in disbelief.

"There is no way you could force me to do something against my will." She said confidently.

"Then what do I have to do to make your will want to help me?" Wolverine asked. Emma Frost considered the short hard man before her as though trying to decide just how desperate he was, and how she could manipulate it to her advantage.

"Let's just say I have a single unrestricted I owe you's, to be used when and how I please." She offered coldly, Wolverine weighed his options for a long moment. Storm had warned him that this woman was dangerous and not to be trusted, and he learned to valued the weather witches opinion above all others. If she said Emma Frost was not to be trusted, Wolverine knew he had better be wary.

"Let's put some conditions on that." Wolverine suggested, but Emma waggled a finger in decline.

"I think not." She replied. "This isn't up for negotiations; you need me, not the other way around."

Wolverine's jaw clinched, she had a distinct upper hand and that did not bode well with him.

"Do we have a deal?" The blonde woman pressed.

"If you're assistance actually helps, I will be in your debt." Wolverine replied, Emma smiled wickedly, giving him an uneasy feeling.

"I believe we have reached an accord." Emma Frost replied, offering Logan her hand to shake on it. He returned the gesture, but he couldn't help but feel as though he had just made a deal with the devil.

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**I'm sorry it's been so long!**

**School, life, and writers block are to blame!**

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**Midnightfarie**


	8. Chapter 8

"I expect your x-men have prepared a room to my specifications?" Emma Frost inquired as she strode confidently through the front door of Xavier's mansion.

She shrugged off her obviously expensive fur coat and shoved it off on Storm as she past the weather witch. Storm's eyebrow shot up as she glared at the woman before her. She had little love for the psychic, and saw no reason to hide the face since the woman could see her thoughts as clearly as a picture.

"Ororo, darling," Emma said giving the other woman a sickeningly sweet smile that thinly veiled the vinegar in her eyes. "It's been far too long."

"Not nearly long enough." Storm replied smoothly. Emma smirked at the open insult.

"Well now that the customary pleasantries are out of the way, let's get started." Emma said, flipping her long blonde hair behind her shoulder in an air of business. "Let's take a peek inside the wolverines head."

Wolverine growled quietly, he had only been around this woman for a few hours and he could already see why Ororo hated her.

* * *

Kitty slumped against the cold corrugated metal wall. Her captor had allowed her to remain unbound, only because he knew she couldn't escape. She felt strangely more trapped with her wrists free, because she was still utterly powerless to help herself. He hadn't been back since he released her bindings and solitude was driving her batty. A sandwich and a bottle of water appeared every time she drifted off to sleep, but other than that there was no evidence that her captor was even aware that she was sitting alone in this empty building. Frustrated and bored senseless, she screamed and slammed her small and rather useless fists against the wall. It was loud and futile, but it made her feel a bit better.

"Wow…" A voice said from behind her. "That may have been the most pathetic escape attempt I have ever seen in my entire life."

A creepy, tingling feeling trailed down Kitty's spine. She had tried to convince herself that she wasn't afraid of her captor, but the fact that he could come and go whenever he felt like and she was none the wiser gave her the willies.

"I wasn't trying to escape." Kitty snapped, rubbing her bruised and battered wrists gingerly. She was beginning to regret the additional abuse she'd subjected them to.

"Why not?" He inquired "I thought you X-men had that try, try, try, and keep trying motto."

"You took away my power." Kitty pointed out sulky.

"And your ability is what makes you an X-man?" He retorted scathingly. "Now that's just tragic. If you're only an x-man when you're a mutant, what are you now?"

Kitty stared dejectedly at the wall in front of her, a haunted look crossing her face, and a tear trailed down her cheek.

"Out of phase."

* * *

"Did you find anything?" Wolverine demanded as the blonde woman's hands dropped from his head.

"Yes and no."Emma replied unhelpfully.

Storm watched from the doorway, not trusting the woman as far as she could throw her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Logan demanded.

"It means your memories are severely damaged and sorting them out will take time. A lot of time." Emma replied coolly.

"Well, Kitty may not have a lot of time." Logan growled heatedly.

"You're welcome to find someone else for the job." Emma offered before smirking. "Oh wait, that's right, there is no one else."

Wolverine's hands balled into fists but he took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Then keep working." He ordered.

Ororo placed a consoling hand on Wolverines shoulder, and looked at the woman across from them with utter loathing.

"And keep in mind, Frost." Storm said in her aggravatingly calm voice. "If you double cross us, I will kill you with my bare hands."

Wolverine looked up at Storm in shock. He couldn't help but admire the shadow that lingered on the weather witch's beautiful face. For the first time, he truly believed that this woman was capable of anything. He glanced back to Emma, and was pleased to see her unusually pale expression at the threat, but her confident smirk quickly slid back into place.

* * *

"She's going to be fine." Rogue insisted, breaking the silence that had descended upon the living room.

The more time that passed since Kitty's kidnapping the lower morale seemed to descend in the institute. They all knew that there was a good chance the little brunette would never return, but no one could face the thought. Rogue turned to her boyfriend who sat stoically beside her and she gently squeezed his shoulder. His light blue eyes met hers, and she smiled comfortingly at him.

"Logan will bring her home." She promised.

Bobby nodded, but she could tell by the dead look in his eyes that he didn't believe her words anymore than she did. She rose to her feet and paced slowly around the living room. Piotr sat alone in a corner, hunched over a sketch pad. She made her way over to him and peeked over his massive shoulder. An uncanny likeness of Kitty looked up at her from the paper. Deep sad eyes and the half smile that often played across the girls lips. Piotr had sketched a rose across the bottom of the page. Rogue studied the picture in amazement. She looked around the table for a picture of the missing girl, but there wasn't one.

"Are you doing that from memory?" Rogue asked.

Piotr looked up at her embarrassed, shifting his large arm to block the drawing from view.

"Yes." He replied, returning his gaze to the face on the paper.

"How?" Rogue asked, intrigued. "It's so detailed."

A shadow etched deeply into the young man's handsome face.

"I could never forget her face." He replied, a flush creeping across his cheek, a sinking feeling hit Rogue in the gut.

"Did she know about your feelings?" Rogue whispered so only Piotr could hear. He looked up at her, his face so desperately sad.

"Does it matter now?" He asked, the corner of his mouth tugging up in a sad smile.

"She's going to come back." Rogue promised. "She has too."

* * *

"Get up!" Kitty's captor ordered. Kitty started from an uneasy sleep.

"What?" She asked, rubbing her eyes dazed.

"Get up." He repeated, grabbing her by her still bruised wrists and pulling her to her feet. Kitty winced but did not resist.

"Why." She asked dully. She felt all out of fight.

"You reek." Her captor informed her.

"That happens when you don't shower for a week." Kitty replied, she could tell he was smirking behind his mask.

"I can fix that." He replied.

Suddenly they were no longer in the empty building, but instead at the edge of a beautiful secluded lake. Kitty blinked at the sudden appearance of real light, and then a smile pulled at her small mouth.

"Bathe." He ordered. "I'll be back soon. You can run while I'm gone, but I don't recommend it. Because I will find you, and then I will kill you."

"That's comforting." Kitty replied sarcastically but she was too distracted by the beauty surrounding her to put too much feeling into it. He vanished in a ripple of atmosphere and after waiting a moment to be sure he was gone she quickly stripped off her stinking cloths and dove headfirst into the cool clear water.

It was ecstasy, she relished in the feeling of moving through something. A little part of her ached at the memory of her own abilities now lost to her. Perhaps one day she would be herself again. But for now she could settle for simply feeling human again.

* * *

**Sorry it's been so long, I've been trying to post this for a while, but my site wouldn't let me on. Luckily it's working again!**

**Please Review!**

**Midnightfarie**


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